This application is based upon and claims priority of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2000-102335, filed on Apr. 4, 2000 and 2000-109777, filed on Apr. 11, 2000, the contents being incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a function guide system in an electronic musical instrument, a function guide method in an electronic musical instrument, and a storage medium, in particular, suitable for easily showing a user the location of an operation element for performing a function selected through a help function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in an electronic musical instrument, a detailed explanation for a function assigned for each of the panel switches (or buttons) is given in a manual for a user to look into it. However, in a personal computer or a word processor, that with a help function has generally come into use.
Herein, in an electronic musical instrument, where various functions provided are explained using a help function, has also come into use. The help function is a function where an operation mode is changed to a help mode by a predetermined operation such as pressing a help key and so on to display on a screen of a display device all or a part of the function names provided in the electronic musical instrument, and when one of the function names is selected, an explanation for the function is displayed.
Since functions of an electronic musical instrument in recent years have been diversified, the number of switches having various functions and the number of operation modes have been increasing. In addition, each of these switches usually has a different function in each operation mode.
Furthermore, among many switches provided, some realize a single function in a single use, and some realize a different function when pressed together with a different switch. For example, an electronic musical instrument has appeared where by pressing certain switch (a keyboard key is sometimes used) while pressing a shift key, a different function is performed from that performed when the switch is pressed by itself.
In such an electronic musical instrument, only by providing the help function as described above and displaying a list of the switches and the functions, a switch for performing a corresponding function can not often be located in the electronic musical instrument, and therefore a great deal of effort is required to perform a desired function.
In consideration of the above, the object of the present invention is to make it easy to show a user the location of an operation element for performing a desired function in an electronic musical instrument having a plurality of operation elements with different functions.
Another object of the present invention is to make it easy to show a user the location of an operation element for performing a function selected for a help display on a screen in an electronic musical instrument having a plurality of operation elements with different functions.
From a viewpoint of the present invention, a function guide system in an electronic musical instrument is provided wherein an explanation for a function selected for a help display is displayed on a display screen in text while a light-emitting element disposed corresponding to a switch for performing the selected function is blinked or lighted.
From another viewpoint of the present invention, a function guide system in an electronic musical instrument is provided wherein, when a function selected for a help display is explained, a panel view screen showing a text and the arrangement of operation elements on a panel is displayed on a display device while a display state of an operation element for performing the function selected above is differentiated from that of other operation elements.